 Jerry, up the circus! He's helping through their act. He's about to do here now. I know, because I've been watching the show. But how can you tell? Well, we've got all the cages out of this menagerie tent. Except that one over there. Yeah, but those seals have to do their turn before they can go to the runs. Yeah, I know. Their act goes on late, Michelle. I suppose you're going to take down the stent now, huh? You ought to know, Jerry. You never see me around unless I'm putting up or taking down some canvas. Yeah, I know. We've been in Jackson City so long. Callia, I guess I haven't seen you for almost four days now. That's right. Mind if I hang around while you load? Bet I don't mind. Of course, there's always the danger you're being put to work. You know I like that. You're certainly a glutton for punishment when it comes to working around the circus. It's fun for me. As a matter of fact, we must all kind of like it, Jerry, or we wouldn't be doing it. It's a big job, isn't it? Yeah, but there's lots of better and easier job. If it's just a job we're thinking of... I mean, you could be doing something better. I've had lots of offers at better money in shorter hours. Well, why didn't you take those other jobs in? Sometimes, and we're all stuck in the mud or when we're struggling to get our canvas up or down in the wind or rain. I ask myself that question. Well, what do you answer yourself? You ought to know, you're only a newcomer, but if you ain't got the circus in your blood, I never saw a young man that did. Yeah, I know why you keep this job. Yes, you really gotta like it to stay with it. Uh-oh, that comes Olsen with his bulls. That means we gotta get busy. Hey, Olsen! Well, I see we got you back on the job, Murray. Yeah, like a bad man. Yeah, so we're moving again. Golly, these stands where we hang around a couple of days sure lower our morale. What do you mean, morale? Oh, I mean, we get soft and lazy. Oh, I see. Say, slam! Oh, slam! Yeah? Uh, take these bulls on over to the run. I'll keep Gertie around till the last wagon pulls out. Oh, kitty boy. Guess Gertie's your favorite elephant, huh? Oh, I don't know. Good and dependable, though. And a swell worker. I don't say she is. I remember many of the time I've seen her pull us out of a bad spot. Well, I gotta get busy. Come on. I'm hanging around. Okay, Jerry. Hey there, man. Get busy on that canvas now. I'm gonna watch him take down this stand. Oh, I may as well watch, too. Won't need Gertie for a while. Come on, Jerry. Let's go on the outside. This will all be floating down pretty soon. Yeah, I know. All right, come on, Gertie. Come on. We'll take you out near these wagons. They're loading with the stakes and the ropes and the canvas. All right, come on. Hello, girls. Come on, then. That's it. There we go. Look, we can sit right here on this bale of hay. That's as good a spot as any. It'll keep Gertie occupied while we're waiting. Huh. Well, what's the matter there, Gertie? That's funny. Look how she's looking around. Yeah. Oh, no, Gertie. Take it easy. Well, she's going for the hay. Yes, it's not so bad. Hey, look, they're about ready to let them an adry top down. Sure enough they are. There goes that guy, Zeke. I never liked him. Where? See, over there by the first pole, he'd just run in from back of these wagons. Oh, yeah. Say, isn't he the fellow that almost got killed by one of your elephants? Yep. Yeah, it was Gertie. I remember we was at the runs loading or unloading. Golly, I'll never forget it. I was scared to death. Yeah, I guess Zeke was, too. He had it coming, though. Someone said he was always teasing her. He was. I hope he's learned his lesson by now. He started out just clowning, I think, and then somehow he seemed to get a real grudge against Gertie. Imagine getting a grudge against an elephant. Yeah, Jerry, folks are funny. Hey, you willikers, they're about ready to let her down. Who? The menagerie top. Oh, sure enough. One minute we're talking about elephants and the next... Say, isn't that pretty, though? The way that canvas floats down. Gertie, let her go. Hey there, Gertie. Gertie, what's wrong there? Oh, now be quiet there, Gertie. Oh, you'll have plenty to do pretty soon. Imagine asking for more work. Seems to me you're always looking out for something more to do, Jerry. Oh, well, me, that's different. Oh, no, it ain't. Bulls get restless, too. Gee, they work just like an army, don't they? See, they got the canvas all in lace, and now they're pulling it up. Yep, nothing in this world is organized better than a circus. See how tough they can roll it. Well, they got to if they wanted to get it in this wagon. Imagine pulling that big thing up. Big enough for a lot of animals and people to be in. Then putting it all in these little wagons. Well, they're not so little, and they're plenty heavy when they're loaded. Yeah, I know. Take 16 horses to pull them, and they pull hard, too, because I watched them. Yeah, you can see by their muscles that they're pulling their level best, all of them. Oh, circus animals always do their share. Guess you ain't got room for lazy animals. Or people, either. Hey, Gertie! Hey, what the dickens has gotten into you anyway? Hey, look, Gertie's got her eye on C. See, he's just putting that load in the wagon. Collie, look at her trunk and ears flashing. She's mad, sure enough. Say, Z, yeah, I'm talking to you. Now, what do you want? You've been fooling around these elephants again? What do you think I am, a fool? Listen, that boy you got there is a killer. Those tanks, I don't want no part of it. She's no killer, but I'm warning you. She's not taking anything from you, so you better watch your step. Gee, sure mean, isn't it? Yeah. Funny Gertie should have gots upset. He's sure nervy tonight. Zeke was acting kind of scared of her. Well, he'd better not be up any more of his tricks, or we'll have plenty more trouble on our hands. Funny how you can make elephants work so easy. But I suppose they get out of control now, then. Well, when an animal's sick or hurt or scared, it doesn't stop to think. Just follows its instincts, which is usually pretty dangerous for folks who don't know how to handle them, I'll tell ya. Okay, boys. Close up the wagon. All right, Wilson. You didn't get that boy today. He's busy. Okay, Murray. Does she always up-get the wagon started? Oh, not on a fast lot. You see, this ground's kind of sandy. Once Gertie gets this wagon started, the horses can keep it moving if they don't get into a bad spot. I see, uh-huh. Well, come on, Gertie, old girl. Get her moving. All right, now here you are. All right, now push. Atta, girl. Keep her moving. Hey, get them horses started. Hup, hup, hup! Golly, she's strong in a truck, seems like. Yeah. See, see, Gertie. Gertie, girl, take it easy there. Hipping the wagon over. The wagon is going over. Look out! Gertie! Gertie, stop it! Stop it, Gertie! She's gone bad. That off is bad. Now you keep out of this, Zeke. She's bad, I tell ya. She's bad. I almost got killed by that wagon. Well, you're still alive, ain't ya? Just a minute now. Something's funny here. Zeke, have you been doing anything around here? If you have, I'll break your... Hand over your bull, huh? Don't try and lay the blame on me. That bull's gonna get out of this circus or else I am. That's not a bad idea. Bull's worth more than a rough neck, ain't ya, Gertie? You guys quit scrappin'? We gotta get this wagon thing. I ain't gonna work around that bull. Not on me either. Okay, Olson. Move Gertie over there. When we need her, we'll get these softies out of the way and let Gertie work. Come on, fellas. Get busy. Aislin, you get on on that side. There's somethin' awful funny here, and you'll bet your last bottom dollar I'm gonna find out what happened. Oh, hello, Jerry. Where have you been? Shh. Come on over here. I wanna talk to ya. Yeah? Okay, come on, Gertie. This way. Thanks. Look at what I found. Well, what about it? Well, it looks like a rope to me. Yeah. I caught Zeke with a knife. Oh, when? Where? Well, you know when the wagon turned over? Yeah? Well, he was on that other side. Almost got crushed. I guess Murray Gale just in time. Well, then when it got settled, he run back and was following this rope. Hmm. When he heard me comin', I saw him take out his knife and cut it quick. Well, where's the rest of it? Around under that wagon. Well, what about this? Don't pull this rope. No, but follow it. See where it leads you to. By gum. Well, what do you know? It's attached to Gertie. Yeah, to her tail. Isn't that kind of funny? Say it is. Let's see. All that now, Gertie. Take it easy. Can I help? Yeah. Here's my flashlight. I want to see. Yep. It's tied to her tail, all right. Jerry, climb up on this box. That's right, Gertie. Get a little closer to these boxes. There. Now stand by her here. You think you can get that rope off all right? Sure. Oh, Jay. Golly. What happened? I cut myself. Cut yourself? What on? Hey, get that light over here more. Jiminy. Willaker. Yeah, now what? It's barbed wire. It's barbed wire? So that's what happened. Jiminy, I don't see how on earth he could have done it. What are you talkin' about, Jerry? Hand me your knife, will ya? Just a minute. All right, here it is. Thanks. There now, I got that rope cut. Lucky we didn't pull this ourselves. Might have gotten killed. Hey, get down from that box, Jerry. I want to see what this is all about. Look, it's just as simple. Here, help me down. All right, give me your hand. I'll show ya. All right. There it is. You see that nasty piece of barbed wire? Yeah, I see it. That was right on Gertie's tail. You see, there was a piece of rope tied to both ends of this wire. Well, it looks like a slip knot on this end. It was. Now, you see how it was done? Well, I'll be darned if it makes sense yet. Look, someone made a big loop with this rope. Yes. Then lassoed Gertie's tail. And then as soon as he got it around her tail, he pulled the rope tied. And then the minute it was tied, the wire cut her. You see? Yeah, I see. And no one could have done such a thing except Zeke. Listen, I'm gonna get that guy if it's the last thing I do. Trying to make it seem like Gertie's gone bad. But why would he do that? Why? Why, so she'd get shot, of course. You mean they'd kill her? Why, yes. They'd have to if she killed anyone or if it looked as if she was dangerous. But that's awful. You bet it is, Jerry. What you gonna do? Well, now I'm not right sure yet. It'd be awful hard to make anyone believe our story. You know, we didn't actually see Zeke do it. I saw him cut the rope. Yes, and I'm darned certain that he did do it, too. Well, I have to have more proof. But you can bet that I'll keep my eyes peeled from now on. What you doing with that wire? Well, I'm just gonna keep it just in case. Hey, you're certain you think that bull's safe? I know darn well she's safe. Okay, bring it over. We need a lift. I ain't gonna stay around that bull. She's a killer. Yes? Well, Zeke, what makes you think she's a killer? Well, didn't she just try to kill us all by pushing our wagon over? Yeah, well, you listen here. This bull's been working for me for ten years. I ain't never had no trouble with her until you came on this lot and began pestin' her with your fool idea of a joke. You can't blame this on me. Oh, can't I, though? I smell a rat, and I'm not gonna lose the best bull and the best elephant friend I ever had, just because I'm measly rough, Nick. Come on, you guys stop scrappin'. We've been held up long enough. We gotta get these wagons over to the runs before the crowd comes out. Okay, Murray. But let me tell you, Zeke, this is the last time you're gonna get away with anything.